Device for expanding and mounting piston rings



April 9 K. J. BAILEY I 5,

DEVICE FOR EXPANDING AND MOUNTING PISTON RINGS Filed April 19, 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet l 5 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORN EY April 15, 1930. I K. J. BAILEY 1,755,044

* DEVICE FOR EXPANDING AND MOUNTING PITON RINGS Filed April 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 4 2: 7.57 I! I l v a U] I fqm j'fmyzmop WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES KENNETH J. BAILEY, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA DEVICE FOR EXPANDING AND MOUNTING PISTON RINGS Application filed. April .19,

This invention relates to means for expanding and mounting piston rings in their grooves in the piston, and consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

A feature of the invention is the provision of means for expanding one or a plurality of piston rings and for positioning said rings in expanded condition in juxtaposition to their piston groove into which they may be forced by hand while expanded.

As a further feature, the devised construction provides means for applying expanding force uniformly to the ring or rings so that the strain is evenly distributed and breakage through over-strain is practically eliminated.

As another feature of the invention, provision is made for expanding simultaneously, a plurality of piston rings so as to enable them to be applied successively to their grooves with resultant economy in time and labor.

The structural features of the invention include also the feature of adjustmennwithin the limits of the particular device, for varying permissible limits of expansion of the piston rings, thereby adapting one size of expanding tool to a number of sizes of pistons and rings.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed specification which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, and in which 7 Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my ring expanding and applying tool in contracted position, a set of rings being shown as mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tool in this position.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the expansion head with the ring-carryin expansion sleeve and expanding head fully expanded.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the base of the expansion head, the expansion segments and cover plate being removed.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the expansion tool as shown in Figure 1.

1928. Serial No. 271,226.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section through the base of the expansion head taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the tool as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the cover plate for the base of the expansion head.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical section of the tool in expanded position seating over a piston head with its lowermost expanded ring in 'uxtaposition to its piston groove ready to e pushed downwardly therein.

As a preliminary to a detailed description of the device, it may be stated that it consists of a thin outer expansible split sleeve of spring steel over which the piston rings are mounted, and an inner segmental expansion head by means of which the sleeve and its rings are expanded and held expanded under manual control as the expanded sleeve is slipped over the head of the piston to position its lower edge just above the ring groove to be filled with the lowermost expanded ring ready to he slipped down off the sleeve into its groove. Expansion and positioning is accomplished by one hand leaving the other free to slip the rings on the expansion sleeve down into their grooves. The expansion head is of less length than the outer sleeve, permitting the'former to be positioned in the sleeve to permit the lower end of the sleeve to he slipped over the head of the piston with its lower edge placed in juxtaposition to the groove to be filled.

Referring now to the drawings for details of construction, 1 indicates a tubular split sleeve of thin spring steel over the external periphery of which the piston rings 2 are placed for expansion and application as suggested in Figures 1 and 9. The sleeve normally tends to and is contracted as will be ob viousf This sleeve is uniformly expanded and is permitted to contract through an inner expansion head, comprising an annular base 3 having a tubular upstanding shank 4 mounting a handle 5 at its upper end rigidly secured thereto as by the set screw 6.

The base 3 is provided with a central annular recess 7 of greater diameter than the bore 8 of s Shank e gure 4.) from the outer 109 edge of which pairs of diametrically alined radial slots 9 extend in right angular relation to the edge of the base 3. Between the slots 9, the full thickness portions of the base 3 are provided with threaded bores 10 to re ceive the attaching screws of a cover plate which will be later referred to.

An operating disk 11 has an upwardly extending collar 12 hearing against the base 3 and fixedly secured to the lower end of an operating rock shaft 13 extending up through and journalin in the tubular shank 4. The up er end of t iis shaft is reduced in diameter orming an annular shoulder 14 (Figure 5) providing a seat for the hub of a hlndle 15 adjustably secured to the upper and of shaft 13 by a set screw 16. A stop pin 17 depends from the handle 15 to abut the handle 5 and limit the turning movement of the handle 17 toward handle 5.

The movement of the handle is effective to expand or contract certain segmental expan dmg members mounted on the base 3 and engaging the interior of the sleeve 1. Those Sgmental members when joined constitute a segmental tube of, as shown, four complemental and similar segments 18. Each segment, midway of its length is provided with an inwardly extending radial arm 19 of a thickness and width equal to the dimensions of the radial slots 9 in the fare of base 3. At their inner ends, these arms 19 are stepped down at 20 and have their edges curved to mformrto the contour of the disk 11 and its collar 12 with the lower faces of the arms in planes slightly above the plane of the lower face of the disc. The slots 9 guide the arms 19 for radial outward expanding and inward contracting movement of the segments 18. The arms are retained in their slots by a cover plate 21 (Fig. 8) having bores 22 alining with the threaded bores 10 in the base. Screws '23 inserted through these bores secure the cover plate to the base 3. The cover plate 21 is also provided with edge slots 24 alining with the slots 9 of the base but of less width and depth than the arms 19 to overlie and retain these arms in their guide slots.

The arms 19 are moved outwardly and inwardly in the slots 9 by means of a series of fnur links 25 pivoted at their inner ends in mud eircumferenoia'lly spaced relation to the outer edge of the disk 11 and having their outer ends pivoted to the arms 19 adjacent to theirconnection with the segments 1.8. The inner edges of the links are curved to permit complete retraction of the arms, the "inner ends of the links nesting in the curve of the next adjacent link as shown in Figure 7.

In the operation of the tool, the outer split sleeve 1, contracted, with the desired piston rings mounted thereon, is inserted over the inner expansion head with its segments 18 contracted and with the head positioned above the bottom of the split sleeve. The

handle 15 which is spaced substantially from the fixed handle 5 in the contracted position of the segments 18 is now pressed toward the handle 5 turning the rock shaft 13 and through links 25 moving the radial arms 19 and segments 18 outwardly and applying uniform expanding pressure to the sleeve 1 and piston rings 2. The adjustment of the handle 15 on shaft 18 will be figured to provide the degree of shaft oscillation and link throw necessary to provide the required expansion of the piston rings. To facilitate the expanding operation of the tool with one hand, curved linger abutments 26 are provided on the outer side edges of ti e handles 5 and 15 as shown in Figure 2.

The piston rings having been expanded as described, the lower edge of the thin outer split sleeve 1 is inserted over the edge of the piston to bring its edge just above the piston groove in which a ring is to be seated. Using his free hand or a suitable tool held therein, the operator now slides the expanded ring down off the lower end of the sleeve into its piston groove. The other ring grooves of the piston are now successively filled by sliding the rings next above down off the sleeve. The operation of applying a set of rings to a piston with the described tool can be practic-ed rapidly and with practically no danger of ring breakage because of the uniform distribution of expanding pressure against the rings.

lVhile, for the purposes of ring expansion alone the outer split sleeve may be dispensed with and the rings mounted directly over the segments 18 of the expanding head, the latter is more advantageously used in combination with the outer split sleeve since the latter may be slipped over the head of the piston to position its lower edge in uxta-position to the ring groove of the piston in which the ring is to be seated.

Each ring expanding and applying 'tool will be prefigured for use with a limited numher of successive sizes of rings so that it will not be necessary to provide a tool for each individual ring size. The set screw 16 pro vides means for adjusting and adapting the permissible throw of the operating handle 15 to the particular size of rings being used.

The described construction, while representing a preferred embodiment of the invention is intended as illustrative rather than restrictive and structural modification and adaptation are contemplated in consonance with the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim therefore and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is:

1. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer tubular expansion sleeve for carrying the rings to be expanded and mounted, and a separate independent inner expansion head of substantially less length insertilole within and engaging the interior of said sleeve, said head mounting an annular series of radially expansible sleeveengaging segments, with means for expanding said segmentsto apply uniform ring expanding pressure to the sleeve.

2. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer tubular split sleeve of thin spring steel for carrying the rings to be expanded and mounted, and a separate independent inner handled expansion head of less length than said sleeve having aplurality of complemental radially expansihle annular segments engaging the interior of the split sleeve, with manually operable means for expanding and holding said segments and sleeve expanded for sliding movement of an expanded ring on the sleeve into piston groove.

3. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer split expansihle sleeve for carrying and expanding the piston rings, and an inner expansion head engag and applying expansion pressure uniformly to the interior of the sleeve, said head havi a tubular shank extending therefrom provided with a handle portion and havi I plurality of radial slots in its face, a sleeve engaging tubular segmental expansion mem her having radial arms seating in said head slots, an operating shaft extending through said tubular shank and having uniform con.- nection with said arms effective to expand and contract said segments uniformly, and an operating handle for said shaft.

4. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer split sleeve of thin expansible metal for carrying and expanding the piston rings, and a separate independent inner handled expansion head insertihle therewithin and operating thereagainst, a plurality of complemental annular expansion segments mounted on said head and extending around the periphery of said sleeve internally, with manually controlled means carried by said head for effecting uniform radial expansion of said segments in turn to expand the sleeve and the rings mounted thereon.

5. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising a base having an upstanding tubular shank, a segmental tubular expansion head mounted on said base in concentric enclosing relation thereto, a shaft extending through said tubular shank having operating connections with said segmental hear uniformly to move its segments radially outwardly and inwardly of said base, means for turning said shaft to effect expansion and contraction of the segmental head and a thin expansible split sleeve of greater length than said head internally engaged by the segments thereof and expanded thereby, said sleeve mounting externally the piston rings to be expanded and seating over the piston head ward to position a ring in uxtaposition to a piston ring groove.

6. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer split expansible sleeve for carrying and expanding the piston rings and an inner tubular expansion head of less length than said sleeve engaging and applying expansion pressure uniformly to the interior of the sleeve, said head comprising an annular base having a tubular shank upstanding therefrom and provided with a fixed handle portion and having a plurality of radial slots in its face, a complemental sleeve engaging segmental tubular expansion member having radial arms seating in said base slots, an operating shaft extending through said tubular shank provided with an annular enlargement at its lower end seating on said base and having links pivotally connected with said arms effective to expand and contract said segments uniformly, and an operating handle for said shaft adj ustably secured thereon to vary the throw of said links and having a stop member thereon to engage the fixed handle of the tubular shank to limit the outexpanding movement of the segmental tubular member.

7. A piston ring expanding tool comprising an annular expansion head mounting an annular series of radially expansible seg ments, a base mounting said head having an upstanding shank and means carried by said shank for efifecting uniform radial expansion of the segments of said head.

8. A piston ring expanding tool comprising a base having an upstanding shank, a series of complemental annular segments providing a tubular expansion head and having radial arms mounted on said base, and means for efiecting uniform radial expanding and contracting movements of said arms andsegments, said means having an operating member mounted on the shank of said base.

9. A piston ring expanding tool compris ing a base having an upstanding tubular shank, a segmental tubular expansion head mounted on said base in concentric enclosing relation thereto, a shaft extending through said tubular shank having operating connections with said segmental head effective uniformly to move its segments radially outwardly and inwardly of said base, and means for rotating said shaft to effect radial expanding movement of the segments of said tubular head.

10. A piston ring expanding tool comprising a radially slotted base having an upstanding tubular shank provided with a fixed handle portion, a series of complemental annular segments, a tubular expansion head, each segment having a radial arm slidably mounted in a radial slot in said base, an operating shaft extending through said tubular shank and base, operating connections between the lower end of said shaft and the radial arms of said segments effective to impart uniform radial movement to said arms, and operating means for said shaft mounted on its upper end and provided with Y means variably to limit the extent of radially outward expanding movement imparted to Said segments by turning movement of the shaft.

11. A piston ring expanding tool comprising a radially slotted base having an upstanding tubular shank provided with a fixed 1e portion, a series of complemental annular segments, a tubular expansion head, each segment having a radial arm slidably mounted in a radial slot in said base, an operating shaft extending through said tubular shank and base, and provided at its lower end with an annular enlargement alining with said radial base slots, a plurality of links pivotally and uniformly connecting said radial arms with the outer edge of said annular enlargement to effect uniform radial movement of said arms through rotation of the shaft, an operating handle mounted on and adjustable circumferentially of the shaft and a fixed stop carried by said handle to engage the fixed handle of said shank and limit movement of the operating handle in segment expanding direction.

12. A piston ring expanding and applying tool comprising an outer expansible ringcarrying split sleeve, and a separate inner expansion member bodily insertible within and retraetible from said sleeve and comprising a head insertible within the sleeve, an aamnlar series of segments mounted on said head for expansion and contraction toward and from said sleeve, and means rotatably carried by and upstanding from said head and in operative connection with said segments effective by rotatory movement to expand said segments to engage and expand said split sleeve and a piston ring carried externally thereby.

Signed at Great Falls in the county of Cascade and State of Montana this fourteenth day of April A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-eight.

KENNETH J. BAILEY. 

